


Isn't it Funny How Family Reminds Us Who We Are?

by scottlang



Series: P. Parker [1]
Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Spider-Man (Movies - Raimi), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Anxiety, Aunt May and Peter Bonding, Family, Fear, Gen, Mentioned Relationship Between Peter and MJ, Spider-Man is a Secret
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2017-05-02
Packaged: 2018-10-27 02:50:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10800150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scottlang/pseuds/scottlang
Summary: Peter Parker stops by Aunt May's new apartment in Queens and is reminded to face life one step at a time. After helping his aunt settle into her new residence, he heads back home only to be faced with a barrage of enemy sightings in the city. Donning his iconic persona, Peter Parker becomes the Spider-Man and does what he does best: he saves the day!





	Isn't it Funny How Family Reminds Us Who We Are?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter Parker visits his Aunt May and enjoys the calm before the storm in the best way possible: with tea and cookies, of course.

~~~~“Aunt May?”

A sharp knock on the white wooden door was met with click of the lock and a swift turn of the doorknob. Peter Parker entered the newly mortgaged residence of his aunt with a smile upon his fair countenance. She had recently moved back to Queens into a smaller, more fitting apartment for a woman her age. It had two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a good-sized kitchen that led into a somewhat open living area. If anything, the younger man was jealous of Aunt May’s upgrade, still residing in a single room apartment in downtown New York. May wanted to live in the city once more, and he had no reason to stop her. Peter had even offered to help with the move, but she had simply shushed his inquiries and explained to him that she could get by on her own.

Peter knew that she was only kidding, and after his morning classes, the student took the train to get to Queens. He purchased a bouquet of flowers during his short travel, and after May had allowed him entrance, he retrieved a vase from an open box to fill it with water. Fluffing the blue and purple flowers together, he placed the finished display on the counter, the sweet aroma of the blooming florets filling the air around them.

“Hello, Peter! My, those are beautiful! Are those for me?” A wide smile adorned the older woman’s visage, wrinkled palms clasped together in delight as Peter presented the flowers to her.

“Yeah! I figured you’d need some color right away, it’s pretty white in here.” The younger man gestured to the white walls and cabinets, a half grin on his mug. The walls were a bright shade of white, and the only other color that contrasted them was the wood flooring.

“Besides, I thought I’d come over after class to lend a hand.”

“I appreciate your help, Peter. Now come, let’s get the furniture out of the moving van.”

The van awaited the Parker family patiently; his aunt unlocked the back doors as he swung them open, removing the ramp from its closed position. Shrugging off his flannel shirt, Peter tossed it to the side, beginning to load several boxes into the woman’s new home. May only had a few pieces of furniture she wanted to keep; most of the items would not fit in the new apartment, and she had told Peter the week before she had sold most of her old things. Their most recent conversation involved the older woman mentioning how she wanted to start fresh, to collect new trinkets and memories. Stuff was not important to her anymore, and she had always reiterated this to Peter when he was growing up. Life was about the experiences one had, the people they learned to love, the responsibility one faced in the heat of a stressful situation. Things did not last forever, but memories could last a lifetime.

“Where would you like this desk?” Peter exhaled, hands clinging to the edge of a mahogany desk, stepping to the front door.

“You can put it against the wall in the living room, by the back door.”

The nephew understood that someone of his height and stature should not have been able to lift such a heavy desk, but his powers proved useful even in times of no danger. Donning his red and blue suit brought him immense satisfaction, but he was still a person, like everyone else. If Aunt May knew of his alter ego, she would have a fit. Protecting his own identity was dire to the Spider-Man; he would not know how to react or what to do if May got hurt. If Mary Jane, or Harry, or his professors got caught in harm’s way because of him, the Spider-Man would lose hope and Peter Parker would be lost in an ever expanding abyss.

These ‘what ifs’ were always sitting at the back of the hero’s mind; they were forever clawing and scratching their way to interrupt his thought process. He knew that he needed to retain an optimistic outlook on this extraordinary situation, but there were some fights that could not be won, no matter how hard the Spider-Man tried.

“Peter? Where did you go?” May called out to her nephew, removing him from the thoughts that plagued his consciousness.

“Sorry, Aunt May, I was just thinking about something, it’s nothing. . .” He responded, albeit vague, as he returned outside to retrieve another piece of furniture.

“You know, Peter—” The older woman started, settling a palm on the Spider-Man’s shoulder.

“—I am very proud of you. Lately, you have been offering your services to those in need, and not just your friends or me. It is almost as if you’ve grown up from the young boy I used to share stories with.”

A soft smile spread across Peter’s lips as he listened to his aunt, thankful for her presence in the world. She was the closest thing he had to a mother, and he was forever grateful for everything she had ever done for him. The Parker name held so much meaning and Peter never wanted to disappoint her. But, he needed to protect her as well, and that was why she could not know his secret. The chance that someone would, or could, find her and force her to say something regrettable was too high. He could not risk his aunt getting into harm’s way.

“Aunt May—I’m really just glad that you’re doing what makes you happy. I’ll always be there, whenever you need something, anything at all.”

“I know, Peter. I know.” Enveloping the younger man into a hug, the pair shared a quiet, loving moment, void of any negativity that normally poisoned a familial relationship. They needed each other, they always have. Releasing her nephew from the embrace, May placed a hand against his cheek, patting it lightly.

“Now—let’s get everything inside and I can make us some tea and cookies.”

“What are we, Europeans?” Peter replied with a sheepish grin, placing the rest of the boxes in the apartment. He brushed his hands on his shirt, wiping away any dust before heading to the bathroom to wash his hands. Returning to the kitchen, the young man pulled a chair from a gathering of furniture, setting it near the counter as he awaited his tea and cookies. 

The older woman placed a porcelain teacup in front of Peter, pouring previously brewed liquid into it's fragile center. She sat several cookies on a napkin, sliding it to her nephew only to watch him scarf one into his mouth. 

“Slow down, Peter. There's plenty more where that came from.”

“But I can't help it. These cookies are delicious!” The two of them exchange a well-deserved conversation. Peter told Aunt May about work and school, mentioning J. Jonah Jameson too many times to count, as well as his ongoing friendship with Harry Osborn and his relationship with Mary Jane Watson. After a few hours, Peter said his goodbyes and gave his aunt one last hug before heading to the train once more.

**Author's Note:**

> This is all based on the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy because he's my favorite live action Spidey. Tags, characters and such will be updated when new chapters come out. Thanks for reading and hopefully I can update this soon!


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